Remmel: A SciFi Alien Barbarian Romance (Rakui Warriors Book 2) Read online

  When she stumbles once more, I have seen enough. “Stop, Jill-ee-un. Stop.” Her pain has become so noticeable that continuing to hide it is an insult to me.

  She takes several steps more, ignoring my command. “We have to keep going,” she says, yet her body sways as she says it. Another sign that pain and exhaustion are taking a toll.

  She attempts to climb over a fallen branquive tree, the massive trunk reaching her chest, and I catch her when she slips. “Jill-ee-un needs rest. No more going.”

  “No, Remmel. There’s no time for rest. My friends are out there somewhere, and they need us to find them.”

  “Jill-ee-un no find friends if she is perish.”

  “I’m not going to die,” she says, but her words hold no power, no energy, no belief. I have planted a seed of doubt within her.

  “Tired Rakuis fall, hurt, perish. Tired Terrans same. Jill-ee-un needs food, water, rest.”

  “I am a little tired,” she admits, defeated.

  “The suns will sleep soon. We make camp for night.” I use my best command voice, hoping she will not argue anymore.

  She looks at her feet and sighs. They must be the source of her pain. “If we make camp for the night now, can we set off again at first light?”

  Relief washes over me at her acceptance. “Yes,” I say.

  “Okay, then. Let’s find a place to make camp.”

  Before she changes her mind, I hook an arm between her legs and hoist her like a sack over my shoulder.

  “Heyyoubigbarbarian! Whathehellareyoudoing? Putmedown! Putmedown!”

  She kicks her legs and pounds my back with her tiny fists. Neither of things bother me. She is tired, I am not. Her feet hurt, mine do not.

  “Iagreedtomakecampforthenight. Notbecarriedlikeyourluggage. Fuckingrakuis. Alwaysthinktheyknowbest. Ifyoujostlemeanyharderimgoingtohurl.”

  “Hold tight to your pack,” I say, as I vault over the fallen branquive tree and then set out at a run through the trees.

  There are no hunting caves in the woods, yet I know of a safe place for us to spend the darkest hours. I cover much ground, and the light starts to fade when I find what I am looking for. A rare vanrook tree.

  If Jill-ee-un is to rest, she must have a safe and comfortable place to lay her head. The vanrook tree is as wide as a Rakui hut with a trunk that reaches all the way up to the sky. In the hollow of the trunk she will be safe, warm, comfortable. And because the tree itself is so massive, there is a clearing surrounding it that will allow me to make a fire.

  She stumbles when I put her down, and I use my arms to steady her until she gains her footing. “You didn’t have to carry me, asshole.” She is angry with me for now, yet her anger will pass.

  I peel back a large strip of the tree’s hard shell to reveal a mesh of fine, thin fibers inside. I pull my knife from its sheath and slice across the fibers to create a large opening.

  “What are you doing?” Jill-ee-un asks. Her anger is already gone, replaced with curiosity.

  “This is vanrook tree. Good for rest.” When the mesh is cleared, I take a fur from my satchel and place it on top of the fibers.

  “You’ve made a bed!” she says with glee. I do not know what a bed is, but I assume it is some sort of Terran sleeping platform. Her happiness soon fades. “Did you kill the tree so we can sleep in it?”

  Her feet are paining her and she’s worried about the tree? My Jill-ee-un has a big heart. “No,” I say. “Vanrook tree grows anew.” That seems to appease her.

  “Can I can try it?” she asks with a light in her eyes.

  I nod, taking her hand and helping her step into the hollow. She collapses onto the fur. “Ohmygod. Thisisheavenly. Itsprettydarkinherethough. Iwouldntwantosleepherealone. Ihopetherearentanyspiders.”

  Inside the trunk, the day becomes like night. Yet if you look straight up toward the stars, the tree’s tall shaft provides a glimpse of the sky through the mesh.

  Her hands explore the soft silt of the tree’s discarded fibers. Gathered inside the tree at its base, the fibers create a cushion far softer than the thickest furs. She is pleased with my choice of camping sites, and my chest swells with pride.

  Friendswithbenefits. Jill-ee-un’s word comes back to me as I gaze down at her lithe body resting on the fur. I want to lie down next to her, to touch her, to hear her breathing change as I pleasure her with my mouth.

  Jill-ee-un’s smooth, pink tongue darts out of her mouth to moisten her lips. This makes me think of the Terran mating habit called kiss-zing that Trauhn told me. Later, I will ask her to teach me this. First, I will tend to her pain.

  I take her foot to remove the stiff covering she wears and she pulls her foot away.

  “What are you doing with my bootie?”

  “Remmel see Jill-ee-un’s pain.”

  “How do you know I’m in pain?”

  I shrug. “How could I not?”

  “Myfeetaregrossrightnow.” She makes a face yet stretches her leg so I can remove the covering she calls a bootie.

  Her leg tenses and she sucks in air through clenched teeth. Under the bootie is another thin covering, which I peel from her wounded foot. I repeat this step with her other foot.

  Her small, tender feet have gaping wounds that are angry and wet. “This is how Jill-ee-un’s body weeps?” I ask.

  “Terrans call that bleeding, not weeping. We’ve done so much walking the last few days that my booties have rubbed my feed raw.”

  “Remmel heal Jill-ee-un’s feet.” There is a root that can be pounded into paste. It is a plant I can recognize, although I must leave her to search for it. “Remmel go find root.”

  “Wait, you’re leaving me here? Alone?” There is fear in her voice.

  “Remmel come back. Heal feet. Jill-ee-un wait.”

  “Yeah, go ahead and leave me. That’s what everyone does eventually anyway.”

  Jill-ee-un is angry because she is afraid. I do not know how to tell her that I am only leaving for a short while. Or that I am not truly leaving her, I am helping her.

  I hand her the pack she carries so she has a weapon for protection if needed and her water skin if she gets thirsty. “Remmel go now. Soon, Jill-ee-un feel better.”

  “Whatever. I’ll just stay here alone and try not to get eaten by a serig or… or some other alien beast.”

  I want to stay with her, to hold her and tell her I will keep her safe. Yet if I stay, I cannot heal her feet. So, I walk away and pray to the gods that she will still be here when I return.

  Chapter 9

  Jillian

  I don’t even say goodbye when Remmel steps out of the tree and covers the opening to keep me safe.

  Dick move, Jillian. He’s only trying to help.

  My feet are pretty fucked up, and it’s scaring the hell out of me. If I can’t walk, I can’t find my friends, and I can’t get back to the Rakui village, back to Kenzie.

  I hate being a burden on someone else. I hate needing help. I hate this fucking planet.

  Remmel doesn’t deserve someone like me, someone who practically tore his head off for trying to help. No. He deserves someone who’ll appreciate him. All of him. Not just his scaled sex organs.

  I don’t know where he’s going exactly or when he’ll be back. But I’m exhausted and he made me a super comfy bed. Maybe if I sleep, I won’t be such a bitch when he returns.

  I’m startled awake when the tree opening is pulled aside and Remmel looks in. There’s still a little bit of daylight left, although it’ll be dark before too long. It smells like he’s started a fire, so we’ll have a little light while that burns.

  He puts a small container of water and a piece of hide down and pulls on my legs until my feet are sticking out of the tree. If I wasn’t feeling so crappy, I’d laugh at the ridiculous situation I’m in.

  “Remmel wash wounds. Jill-ee-un be brave.”

  Great. Bravery has never been my strong suit. I grit my teeth, bracing for pain. But he’s pretty gentle and all I feel is
a little stinging. While my feet dry, he uses two rocks to pound some sort of root into a paste.

  “Remmel heal Jill-ee-un,” he says.

  He takes one of my legs by the ankle and smears the root paste on my bloody, blistered skin. I was afraid the paste would sting, but it actually feels cool and soothing. I sigh in relief as he wraps my foot in leaves and ties them in place with vines. He does the same thing with my other foot.

  “How did you learn how to do this?” I ask.

  “Hunters learn many things.” He shrugs. “Yola teach hunters about herbs and roots.” She’s the tribe’s healer. “Jill-ee-un no pain?”

  I smile and nod. “Yes, the pain is much better. Thank you.” Now that my feet aren’t screaming at me, I notice that Remmel’s hair is damp. “Did you bathe somewhere?”

  “River close. Good for washing.” I’m jealous. What I wouldn’t give for a bath right now. “Remmel get water. Help Jill-ee-un wash?”

  If he’s offering, I’m accepting. “I would love to wash. Yes.”

  “Jill-ee-un eat first. Then wash.”

  Okay, then. Looks like Remmel’s calling the shots tonight. Since I’m basically hobbled, I’m not really in a position to argue. “Eat first, then wash.”

  He lifts me out of the tree and puts me on another fur he’s laid out beside the fire.

  “Remmel no hunt,” he says. “Bring Jill-ee-un banan fruit.” On a square of stiff hide, which the Rakuis use as plates, he serves me dried meat and chunks of peeled fruit that has a dense texture and tastes like strawberries.

  “It’s really good! Thank you, Remmel.”

  We eat without speaking, but it’s a comfortable silence. I want to repay Remmel’s kindness, but I’m not sure how. “I’m sorry I got so upset earlier. I was tired and scared and my feet hurt like hell.”

  “Jill-ee-un better now?”

  “Much better.” Not sure how I’m going to walk all day tomorrow, but I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

  He flashes a rare smile. “Remmel happy.”

  “On Earth,” I say, “when one friend helps another, it’s customary to repay the favor.” He tilts his head, and I know he’s not following me, so I simplify things. “Remmel helped Jillian. Now Jillian wants to help Remmel. How can I help you?”

  This, he understands. “Jill-ee-un teach Remmel Terran mating habit kiss-zing?”

  I bust out laughing. “That’s the favor? You want me to teach you how to kiss?” Now that I think about it, when we had sex before, kissing wasn’t on the menu. Must not be a Rakui thing.

  “Ken-zee teach Trauhn. Jill-ee-un teach Remmel.”

  Go, Kenzie! And sure, I can teach Remmel how to kiss. But once we lock lips, I doubt things will stop there.

  In general, I’m a pretty dirty girl. But right now? I’m absolutely filthy. Just, not in the good way. If Remmel’s mouth ends up downtown, and I’m pretty sure it will, I need to freshen up.

  “I’m happy to teach you all about kissing. But first, I need to wash.”

  Chapter 10

  Remmel

  Jill-ee-un says she is sweatyandgross and smells bad, yet I find her scent enticing. Still, if she wants me to help her wash before kiss-zing, then that is what I will do.

  She removes her top coverings by herself, although she needs help removing her lower leathers so she does not dislodge the healing leaves that I have secured to her feet. She lays beside the fire and pushes her leathers down over her hips and to her knees. Her mating scent assails me, and I take a moment to control my desire before guiding the coverings down her calves and off her feet.

  When she is completely bare, a primal growl rumbles deep in my chest, and I force myself to restrain the beast within me that wants to take what’s mine.

  She looks at me, amused. “You okay there, big guy?”

  Unable to trust my voice, I nod. In my village, it is not uncommon to wash a tribe member who is injured or ill. I, myself, have been tended to by males and females alike. Washing Jill-ee-un should be no different than cleaning Trauhn’s wounds or wiping down my parents’ bare skin to cool their fevers during the great sickness.

  Steeling my resolve to perform the task before me with speed and efficiency, I wet the washing hide and scrub Jill-ee-un from the top of her forehead to the knobby bones of her delicate ankles. I do not spare more than a brief glance at her teats or the treasure between her legs, and I take care not to meet her gaze until my task is complete.

  “Wellthatwasinvigorating. Ithinkyouscrubbedoffafewlayersofskin.”

  She speaks in her native tongue, and I fear I have done something wrong. “Jill-ee-un safe?”

  “Very safe,” she says. “Cleanasawhistle. Icouldhavedonethatmyselfyouknow.”

  I gather her leathers. “Remmel help Jill-ee-un dress before kiss-zing?”

  Her lips curve upward, and her eyes twinkle with merriment. “Would it be okay if I leave them off?”

  She wishes to remain bare? The gods have truly blessed me this day. I have no objection to this. “Yes. That is good.”

  “Great. Why don’t we move back to the cozy bed you made in the tree? Kiss-zing will be better there.”

  I bank the fire for safety. Then I scoop Jill-ee-up up in my arms and place her back in the tree hollow. Since she is bare, I will be bare too. I remove my sword and place it in the hollow and then remove my foot and body coverings before joining her on the fur.

  She wiggles closer to me and positions herself so she is nestled against the side of my chest. Her fingertips draw soft lines of fire down my arm and across my torso. I force myself to stay still, to let her take the lead.

  “Let’s start slow and pick up the pace once you catch on,” she says, brushing her fingertips along my lips. “As you may already know, kiss-zing is done with the mouth.”

  “Trauhn says kiss-zing mouth to mouth pleasure sharing.”

  She laughs softly. “Trauhn would be correct.”

  Her lips curve up, and her eyes half close as her hands slip up behind my neck. With the slightest of pressure, she draws my head toward her. It does not matter how strong I am or how weak she is. Her power over me in this moment is absolute.

  Her mouth hovers close to mine and then she presses our lips together. It is a tender, intimate gesture that promises so much more.

  My arms wrap around her body, and I pull her on top of me. When I do, her legs straddle my hips, her knees resting on the hide beneath us, and my semi-stiff cock nudges the clef of her buttocks.

  “This is closed-mouth kiss-zing,” she whispers against my lips. “But there’s also open-mouth kiss-zing, like this.”

  Her tongue darts out and traces the seam of my lips, licking, flicking, teasing, fighting for entrance. When I allow that entrance, her tongue connects with mine, and my cock hardens into a thick rod.

  It is clear to me why Terrans enjoy kiss-zing and why Trauhn was excited to tell me about this mating habit. The connecting of mouths in this way sets my entire body on fire.

  “Friendswithbenefits?” I groan, sucking on her bottom lip. “Justfucking?”

  She moans into my mouth, and I inhale her sweet breath. “God, yes.”

  A possessive growl rumbles up from my chest. Jill-ee-un may not want me as her mate, yet tonight, she belongs to me.

  I pull her tighter against me, her teats flattened against my chest, pleasuring her mouth while she pleasures mine. My hands drift down her waist and over her hips, coming to rest on the rounded flesh of her buttocks.

  I let my fingers reach lower and delve between her cheeks, exploring her hot, slick seam and finding the hard nub that brings her so much pleasure. She grinds against me, whimpering, then shudders when reaching release, coating my fingers with her wetness.

  She breaks away from our kiss-zing, her breath coming in shallow pants. “Orgasmnumberone. Reachedinrecordtime.” I do not know what she says, yet I know they are happy words because her eyes are glazed with passion.

  “Jill-ee-un done kiss-zing?”
<
br />   “Done kiss-zing your lips.”

  Jill-ee-un places her mouth on my chest and makes the kiss-zing motions against my scales and then works her way down my body. Her fingers wrap around my length and she guides the tip into her mouth. Her tongue swirls around it and the pre-seed that collects there disappears inside her mouth.

  She strokes me with her fist and sucks the rounded tip while she rambles in her native tongue. The vibrations from her voice, deep in her throat, send me soaring to the heavens.

  “Mostgirlsdontliketogiveheadyouknow. Notme. Ilikethepoweritgivesme. Thecontrol. ButIgottasayyoutastefuckingdelicious. Isthatarakuithing? Maybeitsmytease.”

  I must warn her that, if she continues, I will spill my seed in her mouth. “Jill-ee-un,” I groan, getting her attention.

  She looks at me with her lips still wrapped around me. “You need something?”

  “Remmel. Seed. Spill. Close.” All I am capable of is uttering single words.

  “Wellduh. Thatsthepointofablowjob.” She pats the top of my thigh. “It’s, okay. Just lay there and enjoy the ride. I know what I’m doing.”

  Her words do not make sense, yet her action does. She takes me in her mouth again, teasing my slit with her tongue, licking and sucking, and stroking me with her hand. Her mouth is hungry, although not for food. I am her meal, and her appetite is strong. It is not long before my muscles tense and pressure builds in my groin.

  My hips come off the fur, and I thrust deeper into Jill-ee-un’s mouth. I do not want to choke her and try to pull back, but her fingertips dig into my thighs to hold me steady. Her mouth and hand work my length, taking me deeper still before she finally takes a breath.

  “Jill-ee-un,” I growl, a final warning.

  She shakes her head and swallows my length once again. With a single, intense shudder, my seed spills forth.

  When I am spent, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and grins at me like she has discovered a great treasure. What she does not know is that she is the real treasure, and I am truly blessed.